Wednesday, September 19, 2012

So, about Romney’s Latino “joke”…

I’ve noticed that the press has dodged addressing some of
the other shit Mitt Romney was caught saying to donors, like his attempted joke
that he’d have a better shot at winning the presidency as a Latino.

"My dad, as you probably know, was the governor of
Michigan and was the head of a car company. But he was born in Mexico ... and
had he been born of Mexican parents, I'd have a better shot at winning this.
But he was unfortunately born to Americans living in Mexico. He lived there for
a number of years. I mean, I say that jokingly, but it would be helpful to be
Latino."

But most anchors and reporters have opted to clumsily fumble
through explanations of who pays income taxes and blah, blah, blah instead of
tackling the other gaffe Mitt made that evening in the Hamptons.

See, the same thing that would have made Mitt’s joke score
some laughs (if he hadn’t fucked up the punch line) is the exact same thing
that makes anchors and reporters uncertain whether his Latino comments will
result in any real political damage.

The thing?

There is a widely held belief that being a minority has
guaranteed advantages for those seeking any sort of advancement.

I’ve personally encountered that shit. I’ll never forget having an
academically challenged friend respond to news that my sister was accepted at
Harvard with a “joke” that he should paint his face black and apply too. Everybody at the table laughed…except
me. More than one friendship ended that day.

I was disappointed, but not surprised.

Just as I’m disappointed but not at all surprised that so
many anchors and reporters have avoided discussing Romney’s Latino “joke”.

If Romney’s callous disregard for the struggles working
people face and his boorishly stated belief that 47 percent of us see ourselves
as victims are seen as troublesome, then Romney’s crass "joke" about the political
benefits to be had simply from being born Latino sure as shit is too.

7 comments:

I am pretty sure if George Romney had been born in Mexico to Mexican parents, Mitt would have ended up being the guy who helped me renovate my kitchen... let's all take a reality pill. Mitt is Mitt precisely because of WHERE he was born. And educated. And coddled.

yeah um.. wow. I did see a few Hispanics very conspicuously on display at the RNC ( 'cause believe me, if you were anyone at the Republican National Convention who wasn't a honky, you were getting some screen time).

Mitt seems to have blown whatever lead he had amongst Hispanics, the only minority that was rooting for him. He supposedly appealed to them because of their Catholicism and "conservative values". Well, well, well. I for one won't shed a tear. The Republican Party has sold itself out to appeal to the crazies and has a dangerously outdated brand as it appeals to a shrinking demographic audience of rich, elderly whites. Not only is the Republican Party increasingly rarefied, it's increasingly irrelevant. They just contrast their own little fantasy world..